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November 06, 2006
The BFCA Takes A Beating
The press release is after the jump...
But the Broadcast Film Critics Association, a group I am a member of, took a big step backwards this year, as the awards glut seems to have finally found its first casualty.
After years of being taped on one night and shown on E! on another night, with low end production values and editing for time, BFCA made the move to a network, albeit a small one (The WB) two years ago. The shows were live. Over those last 3 years, the venue expanded from The Beverly Hills Hotel to The Wiltern to The Santa Monica Civic.
But The WB became the CW and the other WB network stations became MyNetwork… and I guess MyAwardsShow wasn’t going to work.
Yes, televising the Critics’ Choice Awards is a step beyond the many non-televised events. On the other hand, there were so many awards shows last year that there isn’t much sense that any of us, even The Golden Globes, has much significance or traction.
I am proud of the hard work Joey Berlin and John DiSimio put into building the BFCA in recent years and their fight for TV. But tape delay on E! is a return to Critics Gone Wild!
And any of the other groups out there praying for a TV slot that will be a slot machine for the group… bad news… there’s always podcasting…
THE BROADCAST FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION’S 12TH ANNUAL CRITICS’ CHOICE AWARDS
TO BE HELD FRIDAY, JANUARY 12, 2007
NOMINATIONS WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2006
(Los Angeles, CA – November 7, 2006) – The Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) will hold the 12th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards on Friday, January 12, 2006 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. E! Entertainment Television Network will broadcast this year’s gala on Saturday, January 20th at 9:00pm ET/PT. The nominations for the 12th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards will be announced on Tuesday, December 12, 2006. Additional important dates include:
December 4, 2006 – Nominating ballots out to the BFCA members
December 8, 2006 – Deadline for returning nomination ballots
January 5, 2007 – Final Ballots out to the BFCA members
January 10, 2007 – Deadline for returning final ballots
Along with a special award of merit to be announced, there are 19 Critics’ Choice Awards categories. They are “Best Picture,” “Best Actor,” “Best Actress,” “Best Supporting Actor,” “Best Supporting Actress,” “Best Acting Ensemble,” “Best Young Actor,” “Best Young Actress,” “Best Director,” “Best Writer,” “Best Family Film (live action),” “Best Animated Feature,” “Best Foreign Language Film,” “Best Documentary Feature,” “Best Comedy,” “Best Picture Made for Television,” “Best Composer,” “Best Song,” and “Best Soundtrack.”
The 200 members of the BFCA, the largest film critics’ organization in the United States and Canada, representing television, radio and online critics, select nominees in each of 19 categories. The Critics’ Choice Awards were created by the BFCA to recognize excellence in cinematic achievement. Eligible films were released in 2006. The accounting firm of Gregory A. Mogab will tally the written ballots from the BFCA members. Historically, the Critics’ Choice Awards are the most accurate predictor of the Academy Award nominations.
For more information or to request media credentials to cover this event, contact Andy Gelb or Kelly Stephens of PMK/HBH
Posted by poland at November 6, 2006 10:47 AM
Comments
So if I watch, I'll win the Oscars office pool. I love awards shows; I even watched the Scream Awards on Spike, and I hate horror with a passion.
Posted by: T.H. Unfassung ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.mcnblogs.com/thehotblog/nav-commenters.gif)
at November 6, 2006 02:25 PM
Until this group recognizes the idiotic decision to hand out a Best Soundtrack award over something actually artistic and important like Cinematography or Editing, their ceremony can be shown at 4am on Animal Planet for all I care.
If this was the People's Choice awards, I wouldn't make a point of saying something. But the critics should know better, and the fact that they would waste 3 award slots for film music (when only one is necessary in terms of merit) and only give out one writing award (!) proves they're just as shallow as every other awards organization. It just makes me think of Woody's visit to Los Angeles in Annie Hall. "All they do is give out awards here! Best fascist dictator: Adolf Hitler"
I'm curious as to your position on this, D.P., and who's in charge of determining what gets voted on. Gene Shalit?
Posted by: lazarus at November 6, 2006 06:00 PM
I think Dave is aware of my position on this award show, so I won't bother him by going into it again... until the actual show airs and we're dealt with more back patting by it's own members WE PREDICT MORE WINNERS THAN ANYONE ELSE.
Oh, sorry. I'll stop now.
Posted by: KamikazeCamelV2.0 at November 6, 2006 10:34 PM
It's more credible that critics don't give out awards for Cinematography or Editing, which are really only meaningful when DP's and editors vote. Ask any editor, soundtracks are creative, why else do editors fight for this or that music supervisor to be on their film.
Posted by: T.H. Unfassung at November 6, 2006 10:51 PM
So you don't need to be an actor, writer, director, or composer to recognize merit in those perspective categories, but need to be an expert in Cinematography and Editing? Please. Critics are supposed to be students of film, and should be more qualified than the Globe or Academy voters.
While there is certainly much thought put into selecting music to put into a film, you can't really think it's more important than any of these other contributions. In addition to what I've already mentioned, I would also put costume and sound design ahead of "soundtrack",
I don't know what you're trying to defend here but you should pick another battle.
Posted by: lazarus at November 7, 2006 01:22 AM
Well, some movies rely on their soundtrack. Take Marie Antoinette for example (a movie I hope gets nominated for Best Soundtrack). Or other popular soundtracks like Garden State (which won the Grammy). Without that something is missing.
I like to pretend I know all about cinematography, but really all I can come up with is "how pretty does it look? is the lighting okay?"
Posted by: KamikazeCamelV2.0 at November 7, 2006 08:01 AM
Lazarus, for such a supporter of the "artistic and important like Cinematography or Editing," you disrepect it. The technical arts are extremely creative and should be judged by the people who do it. Acting, Directing, Writing, Music, I'm comfortable with "students of film" judging. It's all about me being comfortable.
Kami: Robbie Robertson for The Departed: sublime.
Posted by: T.H. Unfassung at November 7, 2006 09:47 AM
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